


shutterbugs

by Sylv



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-02
Updated: 2013-11-02
Packaged: 2017-12-31 06:15:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1028228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylv/pseuds/Sylv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m really starting to think that I could make it in this career,” Erica is saying over the rim of her mug.</p>
<p>Laura, a talented photographer, recruits Erica as her new favorite model.</p>
            </blockquote>





	shutterbugs

Erica was the kind of late bloomer that everyone kicks themselves for not paying attention to during high school. She gains the confidence to dress the way she wants to, teaches herself how to apply a variety of make up and learns to channel her anger into haughtiness that translates itself brilliantly into modeling.

Laura is and has always been the kind of girl who makes frequent visits home to ruffle her brother’s hair and let her little sister practice her newest blocks and punches on.

It was on one of these visits that the blonde caught her eye. She was at the house to see Derek, and from the little bit of eavesdropping she managed to do before her mother interrupted her, Laura gathered that her younger brother had helped her through some difficult times in high school. Apparently Erica visited every once in a while to catch up with him. 

She was all bouncy blonde curls and little smirks curling her lips. Derek seemed exceedingly fond of her, so Laura was cautious when she approached the topic with him later that evening; hey, so your friend who was here before—what does she do? Oh, and what’s she majoring in? That’s really interesting. Listen, she has the kind of face that I’m looking for. Do you think you’d be able to give her my number and a message?

He was reluctant at first, but finally agreed that giving Erica the option couldn’t hurt. She could always turn it down if she wanted to. Laura was damn sure she was going to give it an Olympic attempt before letting it go, though.

It turned out that she didn’t have to dig her heels in. It was only two days later, when Laura was back in the city and going through the most recent photos she had taken, when she got the phone call.

There wasn’t much to it. Laura had never been one for dancing around the point. In just a few minutes of conversation, they had an appointment to do a small test shoot around Erica’s classes and Laura’s working hours. It seemed, even at the end of the talk, that there was still some incredulity in the younger woman’s voice that this was real. Laura suspected that her brother might have done a little bit of up-talking on his end. She had to remember to send him a thank you somehow. Maybe a singing clown telegram.

He hated clowns.

That first shoot had been months ago now. Laura had called in a few favors to some of her colleagues so that they would help her with outfits and hair and make up. They mumbled a little bit, but upon seeing Erica had become so excited with her build and bone structure that they forgot they weren’t being paid for this particular photo shoot.

And so they found themselves many shoots, several magazine spreads and a dose of skyrocketing fame later, in Laura’s loft getting ready for a simple, intimate shoot. Erica is sipping at her favorite vanilla chai tea, sitting at the table in the little kitchenette area, and Laura is hanging white sheets, positioning lights and swearing every once in a while.

“I’m really starting to think that I could make it in this career,” Erica is saying over the rim of her mug. 

It makes Laura’s heart swell to hear her talk like this; the biggest obstacle looming over the girl in the beginning was the self-doubt she carried with her in everything she did. Laura suspected that it came from the epileptic fits she’d been dealing with her entire life, but it was never something that Erica brought up, so Laura didn’t either.

“I know you can,” agrees Laura, peering through her camera lens to see if there was anything even remotely correct about the way she had set up. There wasn’t.

“When are the others getting here?”

“An hour. Which means that you don’t have to be here for another hour either.” Laura flips her hair over her shoulder so that she can get a better look at Erica. “Why are you here?”

Erica bites her lip. Laura has to look away from that movement. “I’m invested in my career.”

There’s a moment of silence as Laura moves around and adjusts some things. Erica swirls the spoon around in her mug unnecessarily before finally blurting out, “I think I’m going to drop out of school.”

Laura nearly falls off the ladder she’s in the middle of climbing up. As it is, she has to very ungracefully hop off of it, and then stumble a few steps before being able to straighten up. She clears her throat, finds that it doesn’t help, puts her hands on her hips and attempts to look like something of a real adult.

“You’re going to what?”

Erica looks as though she has been steeling herself for this conversation for a while now. “I’m doing pretty well at this. I have several calls and emails saved about contacts that are being drawn up for me to look at. I’m making more money than I ever thought I would. Paying for my medication and hospital visits are no problem now.” Her face becomes strained. “I can make sure that my parents aren’t struggling to make bills anymore. I’m enjoying myself. I really don’t see any reason that I have to stay in college.”

Laura slowly walks over to the table and pulls a chair around so that she is sitting close enough to touch her. Erica’s eyes are wide and earnest, and Laura feels like this is the time where she’s supposed to take a step back, look at the girl as the mere twenty-one years that she is, and talk her out of this idea.

She doesn’t know if she can do it.

Eventually she settles on what feels like a fairly neutral response. “I thought that you were really interested in what you were studying? What happened to becoming a research analyst?”

Erica picks at a stray thread in her tights, shrugging minutely. “I like it well enough, it’s pretty interesting but… I never knew how much I liked modeling until I really got into it. At first I thought that it was just another way that I could pull in money for school, but now…”

Laura finds herself leaning forward and resting a hand softly on Erica’s thigh. They both freeze, and it takes far too much effort for her to refocus on what she was going to say. “You have to think about this. I don’t want you making a mistake.”

“I am sure.” Erica’s eyes lock with hers, and Laura finds heat rising to her cheeks and the back of her neck.

“I just don’t want you to regret the choice down the road.”

“I won’t regret it. I promise.” Laura isn’t sure if they’re talking about school anymore.

Then Erica kisses her.


End file.
